Yellow Magic Orchestra's Album: Reimagining the Boundaries of Musical Expression

The Yellow Magic Orchestra album is a critically acclaimed and influential electronic music album released in 1978. The album was produced by Japanese musicians Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, who came together to form the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). YMO's self-titled album is considered a groundbreaking work in the world of electronic music, as it was one of the first albums to fully embrace synthesizers and electronic instruments. The album is a fusion of various genres and styles, including pop, funk, and experimental music. The album features iconic tracks such as "Computer Game", "Firecracker", and "Behind the Mask", which have become synonymous with YMO's unique sound. The use of synthesizers and sequencers in these tracks created a futuristic and innovative sound that captivated audiences around the world.

With the benefit of hindsight, even BGM’s “dodgy” tracks have aged well. Hosono’s “Rap Phenomena,” with its chanted lyrics and atonal synths, is construed by some as a rare misstep from the otherwise meticulous producer. Cynics write it off as a cringey attempt at trend-chasing from across the Pacific, a bizarre misinterpretation of the developing rap scene in New York City. What they overlook is that from the moment YMO chose their name, they operated with a sense of humor. For their 1980 mini-album X∞Multiplies, they interspersed the tracklist with comedy skits and recorded a new wave cover of Archie Bell & the Drells’ R&B classic “Tighten Up,” which gave us one of the funniest Don Cornelius interviews in Soul Train history. (Differences between the Japanese and U.S. release of the album didn’t help the disconnect; the sketches on X∞Multiplies were replaced by songs from the Japan-only Solid State Survivor.)

Listen to Rap Phenomena now and hear subtle echoes of its resonant groove and polyrhythmic vocal sample manipulation everywhere in today s electronic music. The band was originally conceived as a one-off studio project by Hosono, the other two members being recruited session musicians - the idea was to produce an album fusing orientalist exotica cf their cover version of Martin Denny s Firecracker with modern electronics.

The use of synthesizers and sequencers in these tracks created a futuristic and innovative sound that captivated audiences around the world. The Yellow Magic Orchestra album was highly influential, especially in the development of techno and electronic music. Artists such as Kraftwerk and Daft Punk have cited YMO as a major inspiration for their own work.

Albums That Made Me - Yellow Magic Orchestra

In this series of blogs, I will document a selection of albums that were pivotal in shaping my musical journey. I will focus on what made these albums special to me, as opposed to what makes them special in music, cultural or any other terms. Of course, every album I discuss can be considered as recommended listening, however, please keep in mind that whilst these albums are special to me, that doesn't mean they're particularly special and/or unique in their own right (although in most cases, I would argue that they are!).

Haruomi Hosono – bass guitar, synth bass, synthesizers, production, mixing engineer (credited as "Harry Hosono" for latter two)

Tomoko Nunoi (uncredited on earliest issues) – French narration (credited as "Sexy Voice") on "La femme chinoise"

Until the age of 20, I hadn't been interested in using synthesisers in my own music creation. I enjoyed listening to music that used synthesisers, but I had no desire to use them in my own music. Upon reflection, this was simply due to not understanding them.

In my youth, I'd been told by many a grumpy, old musician that synthesisers and drum machines were invented to save money in production and put hardworking musicians out of business. Of course, this is utter nonsense, however as a kid, I accepted what I'd been told. I'd always therefore harboured a snobbery towards synthesisers and it wasn't until university, when I learned how synthesisers actually worked and what they were capable of, that I started to view them positively, with the creative potential they yielded.

My learning about synthesisers and understanding the ethos and philosophy of their near limitless tonal and harmonic potential coincided with my discovery of Tom Waits' Swordfishtrombones (and my subsequent shedding of all musical preconceptions). All bets were off and I was truly on the road to exploring sound and music in a way that felt right to me (as opposed to doing things they way other, older people said they should be done). I no longer had any preconceptions or hang-ups about instrumentation or style.

However, whilst I understood the science, I struggled to really grasp using synthesisers in a musical way. I found them to be fun to tinker with, but I was never able to utilise them with much expression.

In my mid twenties I met my partner, who is Japanese. One day whilst chatting about music, the conversation went the way of synthesisers and she casually said "You know Yellow Magic Orchestra, right?". I had no idea what she was talking about. She showed me some YouTube videos. What I heard was dizzying! This was it! This was music made with synthesisers that (unlike modern EDM or house) spoke to my musical tastes that walked a line between jazz and experimental rock music with shades of disco, funk and more. And it was made almost entirely with synthesisers!

I fell head over heals in love with this band and set about amassing their entire discography, digesting it and finding endless inspiration in their pioneering use of synthesisers. In 1978, the music industry was still figuring out how to best utilise these electronic instruments, and while the technology was still extremely crude by modern standards, these three men were crafting soundscapes and electronic orchestration that was richer and more diverse (and arguably more sophisticated) than a lot of electronic music made today.

Beyond musical inspiration, discovering YMO convinced me that if they could create their music in the late 1970s, then I, in the 21st Century, with all my computer software had no reason not to undertake a similar venture, and thus OSC was born. I.e: without the Yellow Magic Orchestra, there'd be no Opus Science Collective; without YMO, there's be no OSC.

It's hard to know where to begin. This album combines rock, pop, funk, western-classical, Orientalism, and more, with additional shades of disco and jazz in places, all woven together with an experimental and diverse tonal palette created using synthesis that, in its day, was wildly pioneering (and which still sounds fresh in 2022).

One of the most significant impacts this album had on me however, was that of utilising two or three distinctly different synthesiser tones in a piece of music to interact in a call-and-response manner (like a vocal duet, but on synths). At the time of discovering this album, I was composing songs, but had no way of realising them, as I'm no singer! Upon hearing this album, I realised that it was possible to make something akin to an experimental, electronic, rock/pop album without the need for any vocalists whatsoever. It emboldened me and gave me the confidence to compose in new ways, utilising melodic lead synthesisers in place of vocals, in ways I'd never thought of doing before.

It also focused my approach to sound design as a whole, encouraging me to devote more time to shaping the characteristics of the synthesiser tones I was using. YMO have a way of making synthesisers really speak with expression and character, and so I strived to do the same.

This album was originally a one-off, experimental project by three significant figures in Japanese pop music. Haruomi Hosono, established and acclaimed songwriter and producer, and two up and coming virtuoso stars Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi. Whilst each of them was on their own career paths and enjoying commercial and critical success with their solo work, the success of this album resulted in YMO becoming their primary focus for the next six years or so as they released numerous studio albums and toured the world several times. To this day, they remain close friends and periodically get together for one-off projects and live performances.

Since discovering YMO, I have also researched and collected albums from each members' solo works, further broadening and enriching my musical listening and sources of influence. It's fair to say that this trio are an absolute powerhouse of music and all-round cultural icons in Japan.

I was discussing YMO and this album recently with a good friend of mine who is very knowledgeable about various walks of music. On the topic of YMO, he said "they're like The Beatles of electronic music", and he has a point! The Beatles were a watershed moment in the history of pop/rock in that everything after them is directly, or indirectly influenced by their innovations.

He went on to explain that, considering Yellow Magic Orchestra was made in 1978, before the advent of MIDI and computer sequencers which become commonplace in the 1980s, this album is as significant to electronic music as Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was to pop/rock. I'm inclined to agree, and hopefully, if you give it a listen, you'll also understand why this album is so significant.

These songs and their sounds are intrinsically tied to the machines used to craft them. Alongside Sakamoto’s debut, BGM was one of the first albums to feature the Roland TR-808 drum machine. The high price tag of the 808 upon its release in 1980 (almost $4,000 in 2021 dollars) made it prohibitively expensive for most, but not for YMO. The glories of its use in the hip-hop and dance music of decades to come—relentless mechanical hi-hats, claps crisp enough to cut through any mix—are on full display on Takahashi’s “Camouflage” and Sakamoto’s searing, mechanical cover of his own “1000 Knives.”

The album's success and impact solidified YMO's position as pioneers in the world of electronic music. Overall, the Yellow Magic Orchestra album is a landmark release that pushed the boundaries of what was possible with electronic music. Its fusion of different genres and inventive use of synthesizers set the stage for the future of electronic music and cemented YMO's legacy as groundbreaking musicians..

Reviews for "Yellow Magic Orchestra's Album: An Ethereal Journey Through Sound"

1. Jane Doe - 2/5 Stars - I was really excited to listen to Yellow Magic Orchestra's album, but I was left disappointed. The songs lacked depth and variety, and I found myself growing bored midway through. The repetitive electronic beats became tiresome and there was a lack of memorable melodies. Overall, I felt that the album lacked creativity and originality.

2. John Smith - 1/5 Stars - I was expecting something groundbreaking with Yellow Magic Orchestra's album, but unfortunately, it fell flat. The songs felt like repetitive loops with no real progression or development. The album lacked any standout tracks that I could truly enjoy and connect with. The production quality may have been good, but the overall lack of substance left me unimpressed and uninterested.

3. Sarah Johnson - 2/5 Stars - Yellow Magic Orchestra's album was a letdown for me. I found the electronic sound overwhelming and monotonous. The lack of variety in the tracks made it difficult for me to differentiate between them. Additionally, I felt that the album lacked any emotional depth or substance, which left me disengaged throughout. Overall, I was expecting a more dynamic and enjoyable listening experience, but unfortunately, this album did not deliver.

4. Michael Thompson - 3/5 Stars - The Yellow Magic Orchestra album had its moments, but overall, it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. While some tracks had catchy beats, they lacked memorable hooks or melodies. The overall sound felt dated and failed to excite me. Perhaps this album would have had a bigger impact if I had listened to it when it was first released, but for me, it didn't live up to the hype or my expectations.

5. Emily Wilson - 2/5 Stars - I had high expectations for the Yellow Magic Orchestra album, but it failed to capture my interest. The songs all blended together, lacking any standout moments or hooks. I found myself growing bored and disinterested as I listened. The album lacked any real personality or originality, feeling like a generic electronic music compilation. Overall, it left me feeling underwhelmed and uninspired.

The Experimental Nature of Yellow Magic Orchestra's Album